Author: story of a kitchen (flower design, inspiration, and frosting recipe from http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/02/recipe-cream-cheese-frosting.html and http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/07/hydrangea-cupcakes.html
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
This frosting is enough for approximately 12 cupcakes. If you are an overfroster, double this recipe. Doubling the frosting is fine as it keeps well in the freezer, well wrapped, for a few weeks.
Ingredients
½ cup (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cool but not cold
8 ounces cold cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3½ cups powdered sugar
1 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or milk
your favorite cupcake recipe for about 12 cupcakes (I'm not including the chocolate one that I used in the photos because it wasn't good -- I'll work on that.)
Instructions
MAKE THE CUPCAKES: Choose your favorite recipe for about 12 cupcakes, then cool completely before decorating. I often make mine the day before, then wrap well with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature until ready to decorate.
MAKE THE FROSTING: In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until the mixture gets fluffy.
Slowly add the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. I only needed 1 tablespoon, as I wanted the frosting to hold its shape when piping.
Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
Use immediately keep refrigerated. It's fine in the fridge for a few days, but you need to whip again to fluff and soften before using.
PREP YOUR PIPING AREA AND TOOLS: Use a piping bag with a Wilton 2D (loose star) tip.
Divide up the frosting and dye it to whatever you want the hydrangeas to look like. I did a lavender and cornflower blue color with Americolor color gels in Sky Blue and Regal Purple and a Wilton Pink Rose.
Spoon in one color to the piping bag, taking care to keep it mostly on one side of the bag. Do the same for the other color(s). The colors will touch and mix a little: that's okay. Real life hydrangeas are not going to have perfectly patterned colors in the petals.
Pipe each hydrangea with loose star shapes, starting on the rim of the cupcake, and end with a quick twist for each. If your cupcakes are not domed, you may need to build up the middles with more frosting to represent the look of the hydrangea flower poms. (And in that case, you may need to make more frosting).
Marvel at your creations and serve. They are different from each other and each beautiful.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/dessert-recipes/hydrangea-cupcakes-recipe-and-stupid-things-ive-said/